Back in August last year, my clutch slave sprung a leak. It happened after I topped off the fluid - maybe the new fluid reacted with the old and eroded the seals? Perhaps some sediment got forced through the system?

Replacing the slave cylinder seals was a pretty straightforward task. The hardest part was getting the right rebuild kit: there are two cylinder bore sizes common to Amazons - 3/4" and 13/16". Both are available from Swedish Treasures.

I ended up ordering the wrong kit the first time around. Lesson learned: I should have removed the slave and measured the bore before ordering parts.

The carbs on my Amazon have given me grief since I got the car. After trying a multitude of fixes, I finally decided to heed some sound advice: tune up the rest of the motor before touching the carbs. I could have saved myself a good deal of frustration if I'd taken that simple advice.

That being said, there was still a good amount work to be done on my tired old SU's. Luckily, there is a wealth of information and tech advice on SU's on the web - much of it from the MG and Jaguar community. (I've linked to helpful sites below.)

Monday, April 6, 2009

The 122 has been sitting in the back yard gathering cobwebs since I moved last November. Finally, last week I charged the battery, pulled the choke, crossed my fingers, and- sure enough- the motor fired up on the first try! Yet another testament to Scandinavian reliability.

Unfortunately, the motor was still running rich. I've struggled with my Amazon's carburetion since I got it, vacillating between so rich that I had to drive with the windows down, and so lean that I couldn't get out of the driveway.

I'd already spent countless hours fiddling with various jet settings, needles, and even gone so far as to re-bush the carbs- all to no avail. I finally decided to heed some essential advice regarding SU's: tune up the rest of the motor before touching the carbs!

I really can't emphasize enough how important it is to tune up the rest of the motor before touching the carbs. Here's a checklist:

2. valve lash - I set mine to 0.020 (cold) using the "Rule of Nines" methodI used 0.020 "go" and 0.022 "no-go" feelers

3. points and condenser - replaced (point faces were pitted) and set to 0.018I tried to file the point faces flat, but the pit was too deep

I used 0.018 "go" and 0.020 "no-go" feelers, cam and rubbing block were lubed prior to installation

4. distributor cap, rotor, spark plugs, and plug wires- replaced distributor cap and rotor (carbon traces and pitting were evident on both). I looked up the Bosch number on my distributor and got parts locally because I was impatient, but honestly, iPD's tune up kits are a hard deal to beat. I cleaned and gapped the plugs to 0.028 and "refurbished" the plug wires and boots -- I was too cheap to replace the plug wires (which look good), and instead, snipped about a 1/4" from each wire until I got to what looked like "fresh" copper and screwed the plug boots back on.filing the contact faces just ended up scoring them... and isn't that a crack, anyway?

I installed plug wire separators for extra insurance against misfires

6. timing - OK, I fibbed. I still need to get my hands on a timing light.

Lesson learned - it's impossible to tune SU's without having the rest of the motor in good order. After all of that, the Amazon seems to be running like a champ! (Or at least like what I imagine a 44 year old car should run like.)

About

The stalwart 122S "Amazon," produced between 1956 and 1970, went a long way in establishing Volvo's reputation for safety and reliability. I was looking for an 1800 when I saw the classified ad for my Amazon, but decided to take a chance, and have since fallen in love with designer Jan Wilsgaard's Nordic-Modern take on classic Detroit, not to mention the car's bulletproof reliability and often mind-boggling simplicity. I bought my 120 from its original owner, who lovingly drove it for 580,000 miles before handing the keys over to me. Any car that can survive half a century and half a million miles of abuse is all right in my book, and worthy of some TLC -- or at least a low budget restoration.